For a variety of reasons ranging from the aesthetic attributes to the protection of structural material, it is common practice to paint or coat a vast range of materials. Likewise it is often desirable to remove such paint or coatings from the substrate. Various methods of removing such paint and coatings have been employed, from scraping to chemicals to blasting the substrate with minute particles such as sand. However, each known method of removing such paint and coatings from the various substrates has distinct disadvantages.
More specifically, today's technology is replete with chemical compositions which can strip or facilitate the stripping of coatings such as paint, lacquer, varnish, shellac, polyurethane finishes, enamels, and the many other coatings used to protect and to beautify the substrates. The most popular types of strippers use an organic chemical solvent base. Even more typically, the compositions contain chlorinated hydrocarbons and/or phenolic compounds or other highly caustic and corrosive materials capable of removing paint and the like from a variety of substrates. Often these components are relatively toxic and subject to stringent use requirements, including hazardous chemical handling procedures such as the use of special clothing and gloves enabling the user to avoid contact with the stripping composition.
Additionally, because of the toxicity of certain components of the stripping composition, environmental safety precautions often require that the materials be disposed of as hazardous waste. Additionally, many such compositions are highly volatile and subject to special safety precautions during use to prevent combustion.
A specific use for which this invention is applicable, relates to the removal of paint from aircraft. Historically, paint has been removed from aircraft for inspection, maintenance, and repair purposes by using alkali solutions and solvent paint strippers. In connection with governmental efforts to prevent possible damage to the environment, recent regulations have made it increasingly difficult to dispose of the residues formed when using known paint strippers. Various other chemical compositions have been tested and rejected for reasons such as difficulty in applying the composition to the substrate, necessity for repeated applications of the composition to remove the paint from the substrate, excessive waiting times for the composition to soften the paint prior to removal from the substrate, and difficulty in removing the softened paint and the like from the substrate. Alternative paint removal methods such as sandblasting have been evaluated for removing the paint and producing only a dry waste which can be disposed of safely. However, the sand causes damage to the aluminum or composite substrate during the removal process.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an easier, quicker and more effective composition and procedure for removing paint and the like from airplanes as well as other substrates.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a stripping composition that is generally compatible to the environment and has minimal toxicological problems with regard to human use and contact.
It is yet another feature of the present invention to provide a stripping composition which can penetrate, soften, swell and lift paint and the like from a substrate within a short period of time, i.e. generally within 24 hours.
It is still another feature of the present invention to provide a water miscible stripping composition capable of penetrating, softening, swelling and lifting paint and the like from a substrate and which is easily removable from the substrate with the application of high pressure water or steam.
It is yet another feature of the present invention to provide a stripping composition which while penetrating, softening, swelling and lifting paint and the like from a substrate, laminates with such paint permitting the resultant laminate to be easily stripped from the substrate.
It is yet another feature of the present invention to provide a stripping composition and method of removing paint and the like from a substrate which results in a solid waste of composition and paint which is environmentally safe for disposal purposes.
It is yet another feature of the present invention to provide a stripping composition which can be readily and effectively applied to a painted substrate while such substrate is in a vertical or other non-horizontal position.